MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cruise vessel Ushuaia again sailing freed by Chilean navy

Chilean Navy officials said that the cruise ship M/V Ushuaia that ran aground in Antarctica four days ago is again sailing on its own. Navy Captain Patricio Espinoza said Chilean tug-boat Lautaro finished freeing the cruise ship early Monday.

The ship had run aground last Thursday and its 89 passengers were taken off the vessel. The 33 crew members remain aboard. Lautaro operates from Punta Arenas and belongs to the joint Argentine-Chilean Antarctic patrolling team. Espinoza says a limited oil spill from the Panamanian-registered cruise ship has been controlled. The accident occurred near the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. However the vessel will remain in the area to verify the extent of the damage suffered when it run aground on a rocky sea bed. The 89 passengers were rescued by the Chilean vessel Aquiles and taken to the Chilean Antarctic base President Eduardo Frei from where an Argentine Air Force Hercules C130 flew them back to the continent. Although Panama flagged the Ushuaia belongs to an Argentine cruise vessel company Antarpply Expeditions that operates from the city of Ushuaia in the extreme south of Argentina. She was built forty years ago fro the US Ocean and Atmospheric Agency and refurbished and reconditioned into a luxury cruise vessel. The vessel is 85 meters long has 41 cabins and suites for 84 passengers.